Gospel Preaching in Taiwan

Go therefore and disciple all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (Matthew 28:19, RecVer)

Gospel preaching is the only and greatest commission God gave to the believers. Any Christian or any church that does not preach the gospel of Jesus Christ has a serious lack in discharging their responsibility. There may be many other activities in the Christian life or church life, but preaching the gospel is the most important of all responsibilities. Satan subtly has successfully diverted the attention of many Christians and churches to things, even spiritual, other than the gospel. A normal and living Christian will preach the gospel. A normal and living church will preach the gospel.

On the first day of our arrival in Taipei, the saints welcomed us with a lovefeast. The day happened to be the meeting of the young working saints. After the lovefeast, I was requested to preach the gospel as some of the attendees were still unbelievers. Therfore, I preached the gospel from the angle of God creating man with a purpose to fill him and that life is vain without God and life becomes meaningful only with God. The one and unique way for life to be meaningful is by believing into the Lord Jesus Christ. My wife translated the gospel message in Chinese. We ended the meeting by leading all the attendees to call upon the Lord’s name and a short prayer.

I have been very impressed by the testimony from the brothers in Taiwan about the way they preach the gospel. During this visit, I desire to participate in their gospel preaching amidst our family's busy schedule in Taiwan. Last Wednesday night, I requested the serving ones if I could participate in the gospel preaching of the church in Taipei. I was informed of a particular district and went to the meeting hall. It so happened that the trainees who used to join the gospel preaching were busy with their graduation meeting. It also rained that day, and not many siants turned up for the gospel preaching. Since I was there, the responsible brother took me to a park where they usually preach the gospel. Not many people were there too due to bad weather. But, we prayed and tried meeting everyone who passed by the park. I also did my best to distribute the gospel tracts.

A brother handed over me a bundle of gospel tracts in Chinese. I determined that I should not go back until I distributed every tract in my hand. Initially, many people rejected the gospel tracts. Since I could not speak Chinese, I tried handing out gospel tract with a smile and a greeting, "Hello, gospel tract for you!"

Despite the many rejections, the Lord prepared a good number of people to receive the gospel tract. To four individuals I was able to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ! Though I could not speak Chinese I used English to preach the gospel and a local Chinese brother translated for me. In this way, four new ones were led to receive the Lord in prayer, calling upon the Lord’s name. I was so glad that I could finally preached the gospel in Taipei Taiwan and lead people to pray to the Lord Jesus. 

A week ago, I also joined a gospel preaching in Taoyuan where we stood before 7 Eleven. One person agreed to listen to the gospel. A local elderly sister who was with us led him to call upon the Lord’s name after preaching the gospel. In this way, the gospel could still be preached. May the Savior Jesus Christ save them all!

Thank the Lord, this country is preserved by the Lord for His testimony. There is freedom to preach the gospel and we could freely distribute the gospel tracts. Whoever was not interested, they politely bowed their heads down and said, "Se se." This is very different from my own country. No wonder, this country is blessed by the Lord for His testimony. 

Lord, continue to bless Your testimony in Taiwan!

Birthday Gifts!

Nineteen years ago I first came to Taipei, Taiwan for my marriage. I was twenty seven years old then. Nineteen years after, I came again with my whole family with three children. Today, on my forty sixth birthday, as a family we were accomodated in Taichung meeting hall guest room. We came to this city to meet a brother who was hospitalised for serious health issues and also meet our brother-in-law's family.

This brother who was hospitalised shepherded me as a student before I even came into the church life. His sense of discernment concerning my spiritual situation of inwardly struggling to understand the unique ground of oneness of the church ultimately helped me to see the vision clearly of the Lord’s recovery of the ground of the church which further led me out of the fold into to the flock of the church life. He also invited me to attend a responsible brothers' training in Mumbai even before I actually came into the practical church life in the Lord’s recovery where I saw the vision of the age, the age we live in is the age of the Body so I must be doing the work of building up the Body of Christ according to the book of Ephesians 4. For these two reasons mostly and also due to his critical condition, I deemed it important to visit him at all cost. Therefore, we came to visit him at the hospital while he was undergoing the operation. Though we could not meet him, we fellowshiped with his wife and his son. The Lord enabled us to offer to his wife an offering from the offering the Lord Himself blessed us with. 

Our day was spent by traveling from Taichung to Tainan by train in the morning, then a tour to Chimei Museum, a visit to Tainan Student Centre, a dinner meeting with my brother-in-law's family, and then a bus trip back to Taipei. 

I rarely celebrate my birthday, and this time too I had no intention of celebration. All my family members knew about this, and all my friends and the saints too knew about this. There was nothing special particularly as such, for to me, with the Lord everyday is a special day already. I do not need to observe a special day, not even my own birthday. But we enjoyed a great family time together, not because it was my birthday but because we happened to travel and visited places together today.

On this day too, as we travelled by train from Taichung to Tainan, as usual, I told my family members to read the Bible in the train itself as we would be busy later. So, we all finished our Bible reading in the train. Besides, the Lord spoke to me very specifically on this day concerning my spiritual situation as portrayed in the Song of Songs.

Who is this who comes up from the wilderness, Leaning on her beloved? I awakened you under the apple tree: There your mother was in labor with you; There she was in labor and brought you forth. Set me as a seal on your heart, As a seal on your arm; For love is as strong as death, Jealousy is as cruel as Sheol; Its flashes are the flashes of fire, A flame of Jehovah. (Song of Solomon 8:5-6, RecVer)

In this sixth stage of a Christian life, experiences of life have taught us that we are nothing, we can do nothing, and our only dependence is on the Lord Jesus Himself for everything. So, as we wait to be raptured coming out of the earthly realm being conscious of our utter helplessness and fully depend on the Lord’s preserving power, we maintain our fellowship with Him and always listen to Him.

Coincidentally, today at a five-star hotel in Tainan we had a family dinner together. To my brother-in-law's family, I only gave testimony based on their queries about our life in India. To me, that is the gospel in action. Let the Lord open their spiritual eyes to see God through our testimony. I believe this was the purpose God let us meet today. 

Then, on our way back from Tainan to Taipei at midnight, for about four and half hours bus ride, and another one hour as we waited for a taxi to reach our hospitality home, I enjoyed four messages on The Christian Life, the recent Memorial Day Conference messages. The first two I already enjoyed while traveling from Taipei to Taichung the day before.

Thus in this way, my forty-sixth birthday was fruitfully spent. Based on the Lord’s personal and specific speaking, I also composed a hymn on "Leaning on My Beloved" on this day! 

Lord, continue to work in me and bless all the coming years until You return to rapture me!

Leaning on My Beloved's Arm

On my forty-sixth birthday, the Lord’s speaking to me was very particular and prophetic. As I spent time with Him in the morning, His words were loud and clear. He prophetically spoke to me of my need to lean on Him for all things at all times. The portion of the ministry from the book of Song of Songs came alive! 

Who is this who comes up from the wilderness, Leaning on her beloved? I awakened you under the apple tree: There your mother was in labor with you; There she was in labor and brought you forth. Set me as a seal on your heart, As a seal on your arm; For love is as strong as death, Jealousy is as cruel as Sheol; Its flashes are the flashes of fire, A flame of Jehovah. (Song of Solomon 8:5-6, RecVer)

On the one hand, prophesying of what stage of growth in life I should be, at the same time, confirming my present experiencing of Him. What a timely speaking of the Lord indeed! It was absolutely marvelous. What a grace! What a blessing!

Later, as we travelled by train from Taichung to Tainan, after my Bible reading, I composed a hymn in the train itself of my experiences of the Lord. The hymn was titled, "Leaning on My Beloved's Arm".

Experience of Christ

Fellowshipping with Him

Meter: 10.9.10.9 with chorus

Tune: Hymn 558

1)

Set me as a seal on Thine heart O Lord,

Thy love divine is as strong as death.

Thine love eternal, entwined with my love 

Thou art my eternal hope and faith.

Leaning, leaning,
Leaning on My Beloved's arm!

Leaning, leaning,

Leaning on My Beloved's arm!

Psalms 24:8

2)

Set me as a seal on Thine arm O Lord,

Thou, Jehovah strong and mighty!

In Thee is my trust and in nothing else

Preserve me unto eternity.

Philippians 3:13

3)

Pressed beyond measure in this earthly realm,

Come I out of this wilderness.

Forgetting the things which are behind 

Stretch I forward to Thee by Thy grace.

4)

Weak, vain, empty, powerless, and helpless

Humbly I open to Thee, O Lord!

Not my enduring, but Thine preserving

Is my only faith and hope, O Lord!

5)

I love Thee, but my love's not trustworthy 

Only I trust, O Lord, in Thy love!

Set me as a seal on Thine heart O Lord.

Only Thy love can secure my love.

6)

I hold Thee, but my holding strength is weak,

Only Thy strength, O Lord, I depend.

Set me as a seal on Thine arm O Lord,

Only Thy strength holds me to the end.

7)

Mountain of spices, I've prepared for Thee,

All my life of experiencing Thee.

Make haste, my Beloved! O Come, Lord Jesus!

As Thy Bride, we are waiting for Thee!

Revisiting Taiwan: A Timely Pattern

The churches in the Lord’s recovery in Taiwan have been shepherding the churches in India for decades altogether now. This sweet coordination in shepherding between the countries is amazing. Only the divine life with the divine nature in the divine grace in God's divine economy can carry out such a coordination. Just as Paul shepherded his spiritual son Timothy in the aspect of truth constitution, God-man living, preaching the gospel and propagating the truth, so also the churches in Taiwan to the churches in India. This is no cooked up man made slogan, but a declaration of the fact. And the facts subjectively have been experienced and enjoyed by many siants. I believe, I am on of the many beneficiaries.

Since the time I came in touch with the ministry of the age, I have been shepherded step by step by the brothers who served in India and sent by the work in Taiwan. In fact, my first encounter with a brother from Taiwan set the course of my future Christian life and service. The first sentence uttered to me was, "Come to the full-time training." It was a shockingly surprise statement to me. I thought to myself, "Who are you? I don't even belong in your group." For, at that time I had not yet come into the practical churches life in the Lord’s recovery under the vision of God’s economy. Two years later, that prophetic statement became true! I joined the full-time training!

From the very beginning, the brothers who have been shepherding me, especially in the matter of the church life and the practices of the God-ordained way, were all from Taiwan. The first prophetic meeting, a brother from Taiwan. The one who shepherded me into the practical church life, a brother from Taiwan. The teachers in the full-time training center, brothers from Taiwan. The gospel propagation coordination I had been with in New Delhi and Gurugram, the brothers from Taiwan. The sister the Lord blessed me to be my wife, a sister from Taiwan. Thank the Lord for this Taiwan connection!

This time, 8-16 June 2024, about 40 brothers from India embarked on a week long visit to different localities in Taiwan; Taoyuan, Taipei, New Taipei City, and Hsinchu. I was graced to receive hospitality at five different homes. It was quite an experience! The love and care of the saints have been overwhelming! I personally have been love feasting all the way on the rich provision of love feast from the saints. On the practical side, I have also been love learning all the practises they have been practising in their carrying out of the God-ordained way.

As men, we see, observe, and learn from what we are seeing outwardly. But deep within all these, there are deep divine principles which only our enlightened eyes of our hearts could perceive. Therefore, with the excerise of our mingled spirit, we digest them. And by God’s mercy, we may learn and follow them practically. As Paul told his spiritual children, imitate me, it is best to imitate a pattern set up by our spiritual parents, the churches in Taiwan.

This probably is my Sixth or Seventh time visit to Taiwan. Each time, I discovered something new spiritually related to the church life. Each time, I discovered a timely pattern for me personally to learn from and imitate intrinsically.  Each time is like a first time visit in a very positive sense. Thereby, proving itself to be a timely pattern. And each time is the best visit ever. 

For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not disorderly among you; Nor did we eat bread as a gift from anyone, but in labor and hardship we worked night and day so that we would not be burdensome to any of you; Not because we do not have the right, but in order that we might give ourselves to you as a pattern that you might imitate us. (2 Thessalonians 3:7-9, RecVer)

Praise the Lord that we have a pattern to imitate! Only the fool, blind, and proud people would reckon it as a shame to imitate others. But we, who knows our living God, and we know whom the Lord has set up as patterns for us to learn from and imitate. It is indeed a blessing to imitate a pattern and in turn, become a pattern to others.

Learn from a Pattern

But you, continue in the things which you have learned and have been assured of, knowing from which ones you have learned them (2 Timothy 3:14, RecVer)

Follow the Practices of the Pattern

Practice these things; be in them, that your progress may be manifest to all. Take heed to yourself and to your teaching; continue in these things; for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you. (1 Timothy 4:15-16, RecVer)

Praise the Lord! 

Lord, continue to bless Your move and Your testimony in Taiwan and India.

Amen!

A Visit to Singapore

Jehovah will keep your going out and your coming in from now and to eternity. (Psalms 121:8, RecVer)

On the 4th of June, on our 18th anniversary, as a family we landed in Singapore. The Lord was sovereign. Our Singapore connection dates back 18 years ago when a brother who visited India along with a coworker from Taiwan proposed to me a sister for marriage. Eighteen years later, we came to visit this country as a family with three children. This trip was planned along with a visit to Taiwan after 6 long years when we last visited.

As we landed, two brothers came to pick us up, and hospitality began. Everyday, during our stay in Singapore our lunch, dinner, and breakfast were all lovefeasting with saints. We truly enjoyed the love and care in the Body. 

In addition to the meal hospitality, the saints also took care of our tourism. The visit to Garden by the Bay, Universal Studio Singapore, SEA Aquarium, Merlion, and shopping complexes were all planned and paid for by the saints. Though I tried to repay them back, the saints took that as an opportunity to shower their love to us. So I ended up paying nothing.

Besides, the Lord also provided a financial offering in Singapore Dollar to meet all my cash expenses apart from taking care of other expenses. Then, an envelope full of Taiwan Dollar cash offering was handed over to me to meet the upcoming expenses in Taiwan as it was our next destination.

Our stay was at the church's guest house where we enjoyed a wonderful time of family bonding and blending. 

These things may seem outward but they were the Lord's physical provision, His blessings too. If I were to calculate the value in Indian currency, it has already exceeded the total fare for two ways flight ticket to two countries for five members.

The Lord is the Provider! He provided all our needs seen, unseen, and foreseen. The timing, the way, and the atmosphere were all perfect. No human plan can even come near this. 

Above all, we also enjoyed a wonderful time of fellowship with a couple of brothers. The brothers asked me mostly about how I came into the church life, how I decided to serve the Lord, the distribution of the ministry literature in India, and the practices and enjoyment of the church life in my locality in particular. I joyfully answered whatever they enquired from me in a way of testimony and ministering life all along with the exercise of my spirit. It was indeed a family churching and blending trip.

Praise the Lord for all His ways and His deeds! 

Blessed is the man who trusts in Jehovah And whose trust Jehovah is. And he will be like a tree transplanted beside water, Which sends out its roots by a stream, And will not be afraid when heat comes; For its leaves remain flourishing, And it will not be anxious in the year of drought And will not cease to bear fruit. (Jeremiah 17:7-8, RecVer)

Lord, bless the church in Singapore!

Fellowship with Trainees Sisters

The situation in North India concerning the gospel preaching has been affected due to the Satanic forces operating in the minds of the people living in darkness blinded by religious fanaticism these days. In the midst of such animosity towards the gospel of Jesus Christ and the Bible, a case has been registered against some young saints under the purported bill passed by certain states ruled by the majoritarian fanatics. Thereby, making changes to the ongoing training of the young people. To encourage these young ones amidst this attack, a team of ten sisters were sent yesterday, 30 May, to fellowship with me and my wife.

As I prayed and considered before the Lord what to fellowship, the Lord led me to testify on some basic and practical Christian living the Lord has taught me since the time He saved me. Though there were questions I could address to answer, I felt, fellowshiping the basic will be more helpful and practical in their Christian life for the church life. With this testimony, basic practical points were covered, at least in principle. 

First, the need for prayer life. A time with the Lord when there will be hundreds and thousands of conversation between the Lord Jesus and I have lightened me on my Christian path concerning many things in life. This is the best way to exercise the spirit and fellowship with the Lord directly. For this, a specific time need to be set. The more the better. An hour or two is a good suggestion. I testified of how I would spent two hours from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm daily during my Master's degree in Chennai. Till today, the Lord has been gracing me to enjoy a time with Him day by day. Prayer life is the Christian life and the Christian life is a prayer life.

Second, seeking the will of the Lord in everything at every time. In additional to the general will of God for the accomplishing of His divine economy, a specific, personal, and perfect will of the Lord must also be sought for in prayer. There are many choices in life for anything under the sun but seeking the will of the Lord amidst many choices is the best practice for any genuine believer. It saves one from many unwarranted decisions and confusion in life. I testified of how I sought the Lord’s will in my academic career, and how the Lord called me to serve, and the many practical thrilling experiences the Lord bestowed upon me while seeking and doing His will, including my marriage to my beloved wife.

Since prayer is the excerise of the Spirit, we will be able to discern God’s will easily. More prayer, more exercise of the spirit, more clarity in discerning God’s will. I also testified of how God’s clarion call came while seeking God's will in prayer for my life and for my wife to be, among many other things. I testified of how the Lord called me to serve Him through the written word which because the living word on 1 January 2003 morning.

And now, O Israel, what does Jehovah your God ask of you except that you fear Jehovah your God so that you would walk in all His ways and love Him and serve Jehovah your God with all your heart and with all your soul; (Deuteronomy 10:12, RecVer)

Third, the Christian life is a life of faith, a life of trusting the Lord in everything. I testifed of how the Lord has been gracing me to live by faith and trust Him for my life and service. I testified of how the Lord has been faithfully supplying all my needs even financially. And I encouraged the saints to honor the Lord with offerings from what God has bountiful blessed.

Fourth, to live a righteous, holy, and sanctified life by taking Christ as our righteousness, holiness, and sanctification. What Christ is, is what we should be, by taking Christ as our life.

Fifth, my wife fellowshipped on how she simply trusted and followed the Lord step by step from joining the training and serving full-time and even coming to India to serve together with me. 

Sixth, she also emphasized the need for blending and be blendable with other saints, along with her testimony of serving the Lord as a house wife and a mother in India.

Seventh, I mentioned the need to accept the Lord’s sovereign arrangement. Whatever God arranges is the best. There is no need for comparison with anyone. God deals with each one as He deems best. Once this universal truth is known and understood subjectively, we will clubbed the two verses together accepting and thanking God for His sovereignty in all things.

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28, RecVer)

Giving thanks at all times for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to our God and Father, (Ephesians 5:20, RecVer)

Eighth, I added a concluding point, the lesson on coordination, with my experiences during my full-time training twenty years ago. The Lord's cross played an important role in breaking my natural man to be able to coordinate with whoever the Lord arranges to serve in coordination. 

As we began our fellowship with prayer, we also ended our fellowship in prayer. The sisters who came for fellowship were very much supplied as they testified through their prayers and noting all the points of fellowship. 

May the Lord bless all of them to enjoy the training life, and be trained to be useful vessels to the Lord!

Fellowship with a Brother's Family

The Lord has been faithfully taking care or His move and His testimony in India. Many serving ones' family have been serving in coordination with the local saints for the furtherance of the Lord’s move and the strengthening of the Lord’s testimony. In Inida, at least I can say for myself, that the brothers coming to serve in India are rendering tremendous help to the local saints. I am one one of the many beneficiaries. For this, I worship and thank the Lord for His special grace and blessing. Many have come to serve and have gone back for different services. That has been a regular practice now. It helps in blending the saints and building up the Body practically. 

On the 29th of May, my family got the opportunity to fellowship over lunch with a brother's family who has faithfully been serving in this country for a score year less two. Though we meet for the work fellowship and trainings frequently, but this was the only time we could spend time in a way of family blending. Though we both brothers have been coordinating in the Lord’s move here, we never had any natural relationship or also with any others. All our relationship is in the realm of the church life as brothers in Christ. Natural relationship must be completely avoided in the church life. In this regard, I feel, the proper relationship has been maintained. So there should not be any special feeling as such when the Lord’s arrangement makes adjustement in the place and area of our service. My brother also took the Lord’s arrangement of his service change in a positive way. This is,  indeed, a proper attitude. 

When my brother's change of service was formally announced in a weekly coworkers fellowship by a brother with the view that we all are in God’s army and we obey the Lord’s sovereign arrangement as and when it happens, we all had only one answer, amen. Since the brother asked me to share too, I simply echoed what other brothers had shared concerning being under the Lord’s sovereignty and accepting whatever the Lord as the Head arranges. I testified of how in this way of fellowship and arrangement in the Body, I had also been led from one service to the other, and one place to the other. First, the call to be a trainee, then the sending to Delhi, then to Gurugram and so forth. Only one word answer to the Master's command, "Amen!"

My wife and my elder daughter stayed overnight for fellowship the day before we had the lovefeast. We took every opportunity to fellowship and blend with the saints whenever possible. Since our children prefered fastfood, we enjoyed lunch together at Macdonald Vasant Vihar, Delhi. Our children and spouse had a wonderful time of blending. We brothers too fellowshipped on some important move of the Lord in India. Whether in India or elsewhere, we are all in the Body, serving together for God’s divine goal.

Thank the Lord for the Lord’s blessing upon my brother in India. Thank the Lord for the many ways He led my brother in coordinating for the Lord’s move in India. Many saints, I myself, and the Lord remembers his function while in India. Many of these experiences, whatever, will be a treasured memory as a sweet remembrance even unto the kingdom age!

Lord, continue to anoint and blessing my brother in his function whatever and wherever. Much grace upon the family with new changes. All to the glory of the Sovereign God whom we serve! Amen.